I’m thinking about premed but do I need to take both physics?
Should I only take physics mechanics, since physics e and m is more “geared” towards people who want to study engineering?
You will need to take a year of physics in college for premed purposes. This typically includes E&M.
Many colleges will offer both algebra based and calculus based intro course for physics. Most medical schools are ok with the algebra based sequence, while engineering students are usually required to take the intro courses that are calculus based. This may be the distinction you were thinking of.
Colleges will usually provide a physics course that covers the need of pre-meds. You don’t NEED to take either physics course in high school, but taking both will give you better preparation than only one. Generally you take mechanics before electricity and magnetism, but I don’t know if there’s any reason for that. Back in the days that dinosaurs roamed my college’s premed physics course had labs and calculus was a prerequisite.
@QuantMech If you’re going to criticize every 16/17 year old kid here over his/her choice of username, you will be spending way too much time on CC. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, I will assume that the OP has a professional-sounding email address.
I am deleting any further discussion of the OP’s nickname as it is wildly off topic. QuantMech, I understand that you are just trying to give advice to the OP, but you have to stay on topic. Use the PM function if you want, otherwise. - Fallenchemist
Many medical schools require actual college courses for pre-med course requirements. So a student who skips introductory courses with AP credit may have to take more advanced courses in the same subject to satisfy pre-med requirements.
You have to take both semesters of physics, the same way you have to take both a year of inorganic and organic chem and the other requirements for pre med. Most schools have general lectures for non majors and seperate tracks for majors, but there isn’t that much difference. The reason is obvious, they want to see if someone has the ability to handle the kinds of learning required in med school, and Physics and Chemistry are involved in the functioning of the human body, not to mention that the chemistry in our bodies is based in what we call Organic chemistry. Doesn’t mean that someone who does well in these classes will be a good doctor, but someone who struggles with these courses isn’t going to handle what you learn in med school and as a doctor very well…
And thanks for all these answers guys, I’ll continue taking both physics next year. I just thought E and M was more geared towards engineers
Commonly, introductory physics courses have several tracks:
- with calculus (and multivariable calculus when E&M is covered) -- for physics and engineering majors (although some schools subdivide into physics major and engineering major versions, or have an honors version), and those who want to take more advanced physics courses
- without calculus or with light calculus -- for biology majors, generally acceptable for pre-meds
- overview for non-science majors -- generally *not* acceptable for pre-meds
High school AP physics C attempts to emulate the first version, though some schools consider it inadequate (especially on E&M, or other topics that they cover like thermodynamics). High school AP physics B or 1 and 2 attempts to emulate the second version, but pre-meds usually cannot use AP credit on pre-med course requirements, and that sequence does not lead to more advanced physics courses.
Larger schools invariably have multiple tracks of physics. I have seen people do well on MCAT after the Calculus not required type Physics classes. So it is not a must to take the harder physics if one is not a Math person.
texaspg’s comment is true. It is not necessary to have calculus-based physics to do well on the MCAT. On the other hand, a group of pre-med advisors at my university did a study of the MCAT performance of students who had taken the calc-based physics vs. non-calc based physics option. The students who took calc-based physics did better (I think this was specifically the science part of the MCAT?) than the students who took non-calc based physics. This could be entirely an effect of self-selection, where the stronger students opt to take the calc-based version.
It could also be that one gets a better understanding of physics when one takes it with calculus.
Are you talking about a HS class or a college course?
If you are a HS student, note that almost all classes you take for AP credit in HS need to be retaken in college if you are applying to med school (I believe the only exception is Calculus).
Physician here. Post #7 is right on about being able to handle college classes preparing for the further rigors of medical school. Besides, as much as I disliked physics, (required for my under grad Chem major) it was worth learning the basics taught in college general physics (calculus based). It is nice to truly understand those equations- still remember how much easier it was to understand the relationship between speed and acceleration when a simple calculus operation linked the two. I find it much easier to retain things when I understand the whys behind them.
Do not look at “why do I need to know this” but at how nice it is to know the foundations of so much. Much of what any student learns in medical school is superseded by the next greatest knowledge. Knowing the foundation helps in adjusting one’s knowledge base. Merely memorizing facts when they may change is not as useful as understanding how those facts were arrived at. Most will forget so much of what is learned of premedical school basic sciences and also medical school basic sciences decades later but will know the logic behind them. Being able to critically evaluate new information is necessary and those foundation sciences help even if one no longer remembers the equations. btw- I once forgot a pH equation but was able to derive it from my chemistry knowledge for a biochemistry exam. You’d be surprised at the amount of physics needed in some medical specialties today.
Medical school is part learning “facts” and vocabulary and part learning how to learn.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/214382-coursework-p1.html does say that medical schools will accept higher level courses in the same subject area in substitution for pre-med courses skipped by AP credit.
However, in the specific case of physics, the physics sequence for biology majors and pre-meds does not lead to higher level physics courses, so pre-meds with AP physics B/1/2 credit will find that to be useless. Pre-meds majoring in physics may find AP physics C credit to be of use if their school accepts it in substitution for introductory physics for physics majors, since they will be taking lots of higher level physics courses anyway. Pre-meds not majoring in physics with AP physics C credit that is accepted by their school need to either retake introductory physics or take more advanced physics courses to fulfill pre-med requirements at many medical schools.
AP physics is useful as increasing one’s knowledge and understanding for college physics. Calculus based physics is helps in understanding physics equations.